Boris-backing Donovan breached code

Donovan's comments were made during an edition of the Sunday Night With Jason Donovan show on April 27, just days before the elections.

He said: "It's time for a change. It's definitely time for a change. Boris Johnson. I have to say it. That's my political message ..."

A listener complained to Ofcom after hearing Donovan's comments on Invicta FM.

Radio station owner GCap said an on-air apology was read out on the radio stations that carried the entertainment programme and it was made clear Donovan's comments were not condoned.

It said it was only Donovan's fourth live radio broadcast with the show and accepted that his comments breached rules about due impartiality.

Ofcom noted the comments were isolated, but said the seriousness of the breach was compounded by it taking place in the run-up to the elections.

Ofcom said: "A presenter endorsing a political candidate at a time of an election is a clear and unambiguous breach of the due impartiality requirements of the (Broadcasting) Code.

"Ofcom considers this to be a very serious breach of the Code. A presenter, albeit relatively new to his role as a radio presenter, was allowed to use his programme to promote an unchallenged political message in favour of a candidate for the 2008 London mayoral elections."

Earlier this year veteran presenter James Whale was fired from TalkSport following complaints about him urging listeners to vote for Mr Johnson in a broadcast on March 20. It was later announced that he had landed a job on home shopping channel bid tv.